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The Antarctic Peninsula And Weddell Sea - M/v Polar Pioneer

Giant tabular icebergs of the Weddell Sea
Journey deep into Antarctica and visit both sides of the Peninsula. The Weddell Sea is a pristine area of Antarctica, reserved only for the luckiest of polar travellers. It boasts huge tabular icebergs, pristine seas and an uncompromising environment reserved for rare and unique wildlife. It was here
that polar explorer Ernest Shackleton travelled, too, on his quest to conquer this inhospitable environment. During your cruise, you'll not only see the world's tallest penguins, the emperors, but observe seals, whales and birds at close quarters.

Tour Highlights

Follow in the footsteps of famous polar explorer Ernest Shackleton

Journey deep into Antarctica, territory trodden by only a few lucky explorers

Itinerary

1

Punta Arenas

Today you make your own way to our joining hotel, where you will meet your fellow Expeditioners and enjoy your first group dinner.

Overnight: Comfortable Boat

Included Meals:
Dinner

2

Punta Arenas / King George Island

Fly from Punta Arenas, Chile, to King George Island, Antarctica, to be warmly welcomed aboard the Polar Pioneer. There will be plenty of time to settle into your cabin before we set sail across the Bransfield Strait.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

3

Enter the Weddell Sea

Access to the Weddell Sea is totally ice-dependent. Calved from massive ice shelves, the tabular icebergs of Antarctic Sound create a memorable sight. Our ice-strengthened Polar Pioneer, helmed by a highly-experienced Russian Captain, gives us the best chance to thread our way through waters alive with penguins, against a backdrop of breathtaking volcanic scenery.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

4

Weddell Sea

For the next three days, the whim of weather systems and shifting pack ice dictate the schedule. You may visit the vast penguin colonies of Brown Bluff or Paulet Island or fossil-rich Seymour Island.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

5

Weddell Sea

There may be the opportunity to hike to spectacular vantage points on Beak and Devil Islands; you may even reach the islands of Prince Gustav Channel.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

6

Weddell Sea

7

Antarctic Peninsula

Returning through the Antarctic Sound, you head for the Peninsula's beautiful Western flanks. You make full use of daylight hours and relatively ice-free waters to experience as much as possible; wildlife stops on off-shore islands, visiting historic huts and Zodiac cruising amid icebergs and whales, are all possibilities.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

8

Antarctic Peninsula

You make full use of daylight hours and relatively ice-free waters to experience as much as possible; wildlife stops on off-shore islands, visiting historic huts and Zodiac cruising amid icebergs and whales, are all possibilities.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

9

Drake Passage

Today, we head back across the Drake Passage.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

10

Drake Passage

Petrels, prions and albatross, accompany us across the Drake Passage. Final on-board lectures help polish our Antarctic education, before making a ceremonial rounding of Cape Horn - time and weather permitting! We gather for a celebratory dinner as we enter the Beagle Channel, as we near our end point in Puerto Williams.

Included Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

11

Beagle Channel / Punta Arenas

A pre-dawn sail along the Beagle Channel and an early breakfast prepare us to dock in Puerto Williams at dawn. Enjoy a tour of the rustic port and surrounds, before boarding your flight to Punta Arenas, Chile.

Tour notes

Each departure date has it's own dedicated tour note, detailing all you need to know about that tour. Whether you've already booked, or weighing up your options, please choose carefully the relevant itinerary for you.

We have the following different versions of the The Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea - M/V Polar Pioneer tour available at present.